Why Google My Business Matters – and How You Can Get Ahead

As most business owners know, the information that appears on
Google is of the utmost importance. Search engines are where the majority of
web users turn to research a company, explore new opportunities, and do due
diligence before making a business decision. While keeping your website high
quality and up to date is, of course, a major priority, the power of Google My
Business can’t be understated. Here’s what you need to know about making Google
My Business work for you.

What Is Google My Business?

Google My Business is the name of Google’s business directory,
providing information about companies of all sizes, including business name,
hours of operation, contact information, and website links. Google My Business
results show up automatically, generally to the right or at the top of organic
search engine results.

In many cases, this information is pulled from other sources,
like Facebook pages or websites, which means that it’s more or less correct. As
such, many small business owners simply claim ownership of the listing and move
along. However, this often isn’t adequate to maintain a competitive advantage.

Success on Google My Business

An appearance in a Google search via Google My Business is
anything but guaranteed. Since only the top three results related to a
particular search will appear, maintaining a complete and accurate profile is
paramount in making sure your company is highlighted front and center.

If you want to guarantee a presence that counts, there are
plenty of steps you can take to boost your odds. Keep these tips in mind when
building out your Google My Business profile.

Confirm Accuracy

In general, web users trust what they find on Google. If they
see business hours or a contact number, there’s no reason to believe this
information is anything but correct. Accordingly, if this data is wrong, it’s
going to strongly shake prospective customers’ faith in your business. If you
see any issues with your profile, including phone number, hours of operation,
or address, update these as soon as possible. Even little issues, like hours
being slightly off, can alter customer perceptions — especially if they show up
at your storefront to find it closed.

Add Images

As the adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and this
holds true in business as well. Before visiting a storefront, most customers
like to have a good idea of what they’re getting into. In order to provide more
context to your operations, your brand identity, and the caliber of services
customers can expect, images are extremely useful. Leveling expectations can be
a valuable way of making sure you can deliver what customers anticipate, and
images or video of your location, your products, or even your team can help to
do this.

Include Google Posts

Google Posts provide the opportunity to post content directly on
Google via Google My Business, increasing the amount of information available
about the unique facets of your company. A great way to communicate industry
information, share upcoming events, post changes to hours for a holiday, or
otherwise expand upon your brand, using Google Posts can flesh out your listing
and provide additional details customers can use to make purchasing decisions.

Answer Questions

Google My Business is intended to provide a wealth of
information to potential shoppers. This includes the opportunity to ask
questions. Prospective and current customers can inquire about anything through
Google My Business, providing an additional way for you to share the
information consumers want to know. There’s a catch to this, however: business
owners aren’t the only ones with permission to post responses. Any Google user
can answer questions, so if you don’t take the lead, someone else may do it for
you — and there’s no guarantee that you’ll like what they have to say. Instead
of rolling the dice and risking wrong answers or unfair criticism, take it upon
yourself to provide accurate and respectful responses to questions posed to
your business.

Respond to Reviews

Reviews are a critical part of maintaining a reputation online
and Google is a popular place for customers to leave feedback. As with many
other review sites, Google My Business provides a way for businesses to respond
to reviews, opening the door for acknowledgment, appreciation, and, if
necessary, apologies. Responding is especially important when you receive
criticism, whether constructive or otherwise; negative reviews are a way of
life for most businesses but there’s no need to let false or misrepresentative
information stand. Without clarification, consumers browsing your listing may
believe inaccurate reviews, harming your reputation.

In a competitive
market, any cost-effective opportunities to move yourself ahead of the competition
are steps worth taking. By building your presence on Google My Business, you
can increase the likelihood of appearing when customers search within your
industry. If you’re not sure where to start, that’s okay – RivalMind can help. Get
in touch with our team today to learn more about
our SEO services.